Safety circuit for starting motors



July 28, 1925. 1,547,174

w. P. KRUcK SAFETYCIRCUIT FOR STARTING MOTORS Filed March 15 y1924 /4 MM. 55 W 11- IN VEN TOR.

@m 5A W ATToRNEYs.

Patented July 28|, 19,25..

UNITED STATES WALTER I. Kauen, or sIoux CITY, Iowa.

SAFETY oIRcI'rIT Fon STARTING morons.

Application filed March 13,

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, W'ALTER I. KRUCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sioux City, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, have invented a new and uscful Safety Circuit forStarting Motors, of which the following is a specification.

An object of my invention is to provide a circuit to be used in combination with the -terposed between vanced that the v sourceof starting and ignition circuits of an automobile which employs an induction coil for producing high tension current for the spark plugs. A l

More particularly it is my, object to provide such acircuit wherein a switch is in.-

the source of current and the induction coil andthe switch is' operable by suitable mechanism soas to be opened when the spark of the car is so adcar will be likely to back Still another object is to provide such a circuit which will use current from the source of'electrical energy only. when the starting switch is closed.

Still more specifically my invention contemplates the employment of a switch interposed between the sourceof current and the ignition coil, operable by a magnet. The magnet in turn is energized 4by the same current-acting through a circuit which includes the starting switch and a third' switch, normally closed, but which is opened by the rotation of the distributor or timer of the car -when such distributor` or timer is adjusted -to 'a osition where the spark is retarded proper y for'starting.

With these'and other objects in View, lily invention consists vin the construction, ar` rangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objectscontemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fullyset forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a combined'y elevation and diagrammatic view illustrating the timer casing of a car, a portion of the dash, and the` coil box mounted thereon, the safety switch h The binding 1924. vSerial. No. 688,926.

and magnet therefor being shown in its casing, the latter being in section.

Fig. 2 is a. diagram; of my invention as applied to another makeV of car employing the make-and-break distributor system of ignition. i h, v

Fig. 3 is a detail view taken on the line 3-3 of F ig. 1.

I have used the reference character` 10 to indicate generally the dash of an automobile, and the reference numeral, 11, to indicate the c'oilbox mounted thereon. Projecting through the back of the coil box and through the dash, 10, are the binding posts, 12, 13 and 14. The nects to the secondary of t e coils and to the spark plugs of the engine. The binding post,.13, is connected to the timer, which will hereinafter lbe described, and connects the primary and secondary of the coils. post, 14, connects to the other side of the primary of each coil.

On the front of the engine, which is not shown, herewith, is the time gear casing, l5, on which is mounted the timer casing, 16, held in place by the spring arm, 17. The timer casing, 16, is rotatably'mounted and controlled by the rod, 18, which is pivoted in the lug, 19, on 'the timer casing.l The wires, 20, connect the timer binding posts, 21, within the respective binding posts, 13, of the coil box.

Within the tim'er casing is the 'ordinary rotating brush, not shown, which successively contacts with'insulated' terminal l'blocks connected with the'binding posts, 21, in or.- der to forman electrical connection between the conductors, 2 0, and the timer casing for grounding Y the coils.

Before proceeding further, it may be mentioned that in the vdr circuit now used on the automobile is' shown in light'lines, and the Icircuitl which forms my invention in heavy lines.

. The battery, 22, is frame of the car, and connected by a conductor, 24, to the ignition switch, 25, which in turn is normally connected by a wire, 26, to

t e terminal post, 14. The magneto, 2.7, is

awings the ordinary grounded at 23, .to the bmdinopost, 12, coneither the battery,

current in k ed at 29- 4to the frame of switcli, 31, which'is in turn connected in like manner connected through the switch, 25, td the terminal, 14, and either may be employed by shifting the'. switch, 25.; It will be seen that current may passV from 22, or the magneto, 27, .ato the prim-ary of the induction coils, and thus through the coils to the conductors, 20, and thence back through the timer, 16, to the engine base. At the saine time the induced the' secondary of the coils 'will vflow through the spark plugs to the posts, 12, thence through the secondary of the coils and back to the engine through the Iconductors, 20. The starting motor, 28, is groundthe car and conconductor, 30, to the startig y nected by a the conductor, 32,'to the battery, 22.

Y 'In installing my device the wire, 26, is

removed from the binding post, 14. .The

safety switch is housed in a casing, 33, supported by the brackets, 34 and'35, whichare mounted on the coil box supporting bolt,

.I 36, and binding post, 14, respectively. The

bracket, 35, serves removable cover,

tor, 44,

' 22, the wire, 50, is connected to the startingv on which is pivoted the switch lever,

as a conductor and has an iii-turned ear, 37, on which is mounted the contact member, 38. The other contact member, 39, is mounted on a swinging arma* ture, 40, pivoted to the Abracket,41, on the 42, of the casing, 33. spring, 43, urges the contact points together. It willv be noted that the contact, 38, is connected tothe binding post, tact, 39, is connected by a suitable conducfastened tothe swinging armature, 40, to thebinding post, 45, in the cover of the casing. 'lhe binding post, 45, in turn receives the wire, 26.

It will be noted that the safety switch has thus been interposed between the ignition switch, 25, andthe primary of the coils. In order to operate the swinging armature, 40,. a magnet, 46, is provided, which is connected by suitable conductors to the binding posts, 47 and' 48, which are in tum connected'by the wires, 49 and,50f, to the engine casingv and battery, respectively, in vthe manner hereinafter described. i d

Inorder to interpose the starting switch, 31, between the magnet, 46, andthe battery,

' switch on the same side as the motor, 28.

In order to do this, connectedl to the terminal saine point where the wire, .Thewire, which will now be described.

Mounted on the time vgear housingis-the bracket, 51, which has lthe downwardly-extendingV arms, 52 and 53, respectively, de-v signed ,to receive the bolts, 54 and 55, .reispectively, in the front and. side ortions,

time gear ousing.

respectively, of` the p Mounted on the arm, 52, is a pivot pin, 61,

30, terminates'.

' opens the switch. As soon as lever, 57 and the frame of the car.

A separate the contacts, 3 8

14. The conthev wire, 50, is simply ofthe motor at the 49, is grounded through a "switch Wear out,

A coil spring,

58, tends to urge the -`upper end of the switchtoward the stationary conynected by the conductor,l 49, to the binding The lower end of the lever57,-

post, 47. extends across the path ofinovement of the lug, 19, and 'is adapted to be engaged thereby when the spark lever is moved in the direction indicated by tracting the switch m'ember from the contact, 59, and thus opening the switch.A VWhen the spark is retarded to the proper position for starting so'that the motor will not back fire, the lug, 19, enga-ges the lever, 57, and

the spark has been advanced beyond-.a safety point where the motor is likely to back fire, the lever, 57

will be disengaged and the switch allowed to close.l After will be seen that a circuit will-be completed which includes the battery, 22, the conductor, 32, the switch, 31, the conductor, 50, the-magnet, 46, the conductor, 49, the switch s a result, the magnet will be energized and will draw the armature,

and 39, and thus open the ignition circuit so that no current may be supplied to the primary of the coils. In order to bring to the drivers attention the fact that the ignition circuit has been disconnected, an alarm, 61, may be shunted across the magnet, 46, so that when the magnet is energized the Either a buzzer, `a small light, or both, con,- nected in parallel, may be used. d

In Fig. 2 I have shown the same safety circuit applied to a slightly diferent 'fornicars and includes the induction coil, 62

which vhas its primary connected at 63 through the safety switch to the starting .switcli, 25, and on the other side to the insulated contact of the interruptor, 64. The

interruptor is operated from the saine shaftas, and forms a` part of, Ithe distributor, 65, which distributes the current from the secondary, 66, ofthe coil, 62, tothe spark plugs, 67. The switch, 57 may be suitably operated by the distributor casing in a mannersimilar to that employed inthe switch already described.'

' It will be seen from the foregoing descrip- 40, toward it so as to` the switch is depressed it alarm will be operated.

.tion that my device will prevent the engine while the starting motor is turning firing My d and while the spark is advanced.l vice is very vsimple in construction and easy to install. There are no parts which will and it is difficult for the parts to get out of. adjustment.

The device draws current only'when the starting motor switch is depressed, so that if the car is running the spark may be advanced without the device operating.

lThe word timer as used in the 'claims refers to veither the comm'ercially known timer or distributor.

Some changes'may' be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modiiied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included withintheir scope.

I claim as my invention:

Y l. Inv combination with an electrical'circuit having p-rimary and secondary ignition circuits, induction coils included in each of said circuits, a source of current in the primary circuit, a timer in the secondary cir` cuit, a starting motor, a starting switch and a starting circuit including said starting motor, said starting switch and the source of current; a safety switch interposed in the primary circuit, said switch including a movable arm having anarma'ture, a magnet adapted to attract said armature for opening the safety switch when energized and thus to prevent current passing through the primary of the induction coil, a controlling circuit for the magnet, said controlling circuit including a switch operable by the adjustment of the distributor and including the starting switch, the parts being so ar# ranged that when the distributor is adjusted so as to advance the instant of connection of the respective spark plugs with the induction coil, the controlling switch will close when the starting switch is also closed.

2. In combination with an electrical circult having a primary ignition circuit, a secondary ignition circuit, an induction coil included in both circuits, a timer in the secondary circuit, a sourcev of current in the primary circuit, a starting motor connected with said source of current by a starting circuit and a switch in said starting circuit; a safety switch interposed between the source of current and the primary of the induction coil, a magnet for controlling the safety switch, a controlling circuit including. the magnet, the starting switch and a controlling switch, the controlling switch being operable by the timer so that adjustment of the distributor for advancing the spark will allow the controlling switch to close, the pants being so arranged that when the starting switch is closed and. the controlling switch is closed, the magnet will be energized for opening the safety switch. e

3. In combination with an electrical cirF cuit having primary and secondary ignition circuits, an induction coil included in each of said circuits, a source of current in the primary circuit, a timer in the secondary v including a casing,

circuit, a starting motor, astarting switch and a starting circuit including said starting motor, said starting switch and the source of current; a safety switch interposed in the primary circuit between the source of current and the. induction coil, means operable by the depressingT of the starting switch for opening said safety switch, and means op-4 erable .by adjustment of the timer to prevent the operation of said last means when the distributor is adjusted so as to retard the spark.

4. In combination with an electrical circuit having an ignition circuit including spark plugs and a timer, and a starting circuit including a starting switch and a source of current for said electrical circuit, means for preventing the passing of a high tension current through the spark plugs, said means being operable by the depressing of the starting switch, and means controlled by the adjusting of-the timer to prevent said last means from operating when the timer is adjusted so as to retard the spark.

5. In combination with an electrical circuit including an ignition circuithaving spark plugs, and a starting circuit, having a starting switch, means for preventing the passing of current to the lspark'plugs, including an electromagnet energized from the starting circuit when the starting switch is depressed.

6. In combination with an automotive vehicle having an engine housing, an ignition circuit including a timer having a portion mounted for oscillation relative to said housing, said portion having a protruding member, said ignition circuit including also a plurality of spark plugs, and a source of current, means for preventing the passing is advanced, including a switch lever ful-A crumed on the housing and having a portion extending into the path of oscillation of said protruding member.

v 7. In combination with an automotive vehicle having a dash, a coil box supporting bolt extending therethrough,l and a binding post mounted thereon, and an ignition circuit including said binding post, a plurality of spark plugs and a source of current; means for preventing the passing of current to said spark plugs, including an electromagnet, and a mounting for said magnet and brackets fixed to said casing and attachable to said bolt and binding post, one of said brackets serving as part of an electrical circuit including said magnet.

8. In combination with an automotive ve# hicle having an engine housing, a timer casing, cap screws connecting said timer casing with the engine housing, an ignition circuit including a timer having a projecting element, spark plugs and a source of curthe passing of current tosaid spark plugs, when the timer is adjusted so as toadvance the spark, in-

cluding a switch lever having a portion dis- 5 posed in the path of movement of said projecting element, a bracket having a pair o legs attachable to said cap screws,

rent,'means for preventing said switch. lever being fulcrumed on said bracket, and a coacting switch element xed vto the bracket.

Sioux City,

Signed at in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, this 16th day of February, 1924.

WALTER P.y KRUCK. 

